The Best MP3 Players for Digital Music Lovers

Even though the glory days of the iPod are a thing of the past, MP3 players are still handy and popular gadgets to have in your life. With a host of options to choose from in terms of shape, size, and hardware capabilities, we round up the best picks available on the market today.

When you are shopping for an MP3 player, consider carefully the size and the quality of your digital music collection. If you have purchased most of your favorite tracks from iTunes or other popular platforms, there's not necessarily a need to splurge on an audiophile-grade player.

However, if you own a lot of music in lossless file formats and don't want to compromise on audio quality, consider a more upmarket player with advanced DAC and circuitry inside it.

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1
FiiO M3

The FiiO M3 is a compact and affordable MP3 player with solid audiophile credentials. It can power headphones with up to 100 Ohms of impedance, as well as play high-quality audio in lossless file format. Other key features of the gadget include 8GB of onboard memory, a microSD card slot for easy expansion, and a 2-inch color display.

2
Sony Walkman NW-ZX100

Sony's Walkman NW-ZX100 is a beautifully designed Hi-Res audio mp3 player that comes with a pair of noise-canceling earbuds in its retail package. In addition to featuring support for all major audio formats, the device can last up to a whopping 70 hours on a single charge, as well as stream audio via Bluetooth. One of the best picks in its price range.

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3
FiiO X1 (2nd generation)

The updated Fiio X1 is a well-priced mp3 player that can not only deliver high-quality audio to wired headphones, but also connect to wireless ones via Bluetooth 4.0. The gadget supports all major lossless music formats, as well as dedicated car mode. Other key features include microSD card slot, 2-inch color display, and top-notch battery life.

4
Apple iPod Touch (6th generation)

Apple's latest iPod touch is easily the most entertaining MP3 player available on the market. Sporting the same processor as the iPhone 6, a 4-inch Retina display, an 8MP camera, and iOS, the device will not only play music and video, but also give users access to the same apps and games available for the iPhone and iPad.

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5
HIFIMAN SuperMini

The stealthy HIFIMAN SuperMini mp3 player has beautifully crafted metal body and eye-catching OLED display. The music player supports a multitude of audio formats, delivers up to 22 hours of playback on a single charge, and comes with a pair of quality in-ear headphones in its retail package.

6
Onkyo DP-X1

The Onkyo DP-X1 is a solid contender for being the best MP3 player priced below $1,000. In addition to packing dual headphone amps and DACs, the device is also a connectivity powerhouse with two audio jacks (2.5 and 3.5 millimeters), as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The Onkyo DP-X1 runs Android, so users can also install their favorite apps, and stay on top of their email and social networking profiles while rocking out.

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7
Sony NWE395

Sony's NWE395 is a solid and affordable MP3 player, whose battery can last up to 35 hours on a single charge. Other key features of the player include an FM radio, as well as Apple iTunes integration. The NWE395 is available with up to 16GB of storage.

8
Astell&Kern AK Jr

The AK Jr can be considered affordable for an Astell&Kern product. (Some of the Korean manufacturer's other items can cost $2,500 and beyond.) A decidedly audiophile offering, the AK Jr features a Wolfson WM8740 x1 DAC, a10-band equalizer, and beautiful brushed aluminum body. Other hardware specs of the device include 3.1-inch touchscreen, 64GB of built-in memory, a memory card slot, and Bluetooth connectivity. The player does not come with headphones, so prepare to invest in a quality pair in case you don't own one yet.

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9
SanDisk Clip Sport

The SanDisk Clip Sport is cute, colorful, and incredibly compact. It is also quite affordable, considering the features it has to offer. Key features of this little fella include a 1.44-inch color display, expandable memory, and FM radio. The Clip Sport can deliver up to 25 hours of playback on a single charge. Despite its low price tag, it comes with a pair of earbuds in its retail package.

10
FiiO X7

One of the most feature-rich FiiO products to date, the X7 MP3 player is even more capable than its considerable price tag suggests. In addition to delivering stellar audio quality and handy external controls, the metal-clad device features expandable memory, and a massive 3,500 mAh battery. The X7 runs Android, so it has an easy to navigate user interface.